President Obama, First Lady to Attend Fort Hood Shooting Memorial Service

President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks about the shooting at Fort Hood, Wednesday, April 2, 2014, in Chicago.

AP

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will attend a memorial service at Fort Hood for the victims of last week’s deadly shooting spree, the White House said Monday.

The service will be one of a handful of memorial services Mr. Obama he’s attended as president for the victims of mass shootings. It will also mark the second time the president has offered condolences for victims of a shooting at Fort Hood, a large Army base in Texas.

Three people died and 16 were injured in the shooting last week. In 2009, 13 people died and more than 30 others were wounded in a separate shooting spree.

Mr. Obama gave brief remarks on the day of the shooting last week. “We’re heartbroken that something like this might have happened again,” Mr. Obama said. He said many people at Fort Hood have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and worked to protect freedom in the U.S.

“They serve with valor; they serve with distinction. And when they’re at their home base they need to feel safe,” the president said.

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